KENTWOOD, Mich. — Even though Veterans Day just passed, it's never a bad time to show love to our service men and women. With Thursday being World Kindness Day, students at Grand River Prep (GRP) in Kentwood are writing letters showing their gratitude to veterans and active-duty service members.
Students like Willow, Madelyn and Bella at Grand River Prep High School are showing their appreciation in a meaningful way.
"I wrote, dear veteran, I am grateful for you because of how hard you fought to give us freedom," Willow said. " I'm very grateful for everything that you have done to protect our community."
Grand River Prep students joine more than 65,000 students from over 100 National Heritage Academies schools to hand write 50,000 heartfelt thank-you notes to veterans and active-duty service members through Project Gratitude
"We got to acknowledge the sacrifices that our veterans made, because, you know, sometimes they may feel like unseen." said Jaxon, a student at GRP
The letter-writing activity aligns with Grand River Prep's monthly 'Moral Focus' initiative.
"This month is gratitude. And with that, we kind of focus in on one of those and explain it to the students what it is," said Paris Manuel Jr. a behaivor support specialist with GRP. "Then show them how to display it in their everyday lives."
Teachers like Kira Vander Molen say it's important to show how thankful we are for those who serve.
"Especially for veterans, they do a very hard, difficult thing," Vander Molen said. It's just important for them to know that the people that they've been protecting and the people that they've been serving care about them also."
Willow believes these letters are needed now more than ever.
"Just with everything going on in the world right now, I feel like this helps spread a little bit of positivity to the people that have fought for us." she said.
The letters will be delivered to Soldiers' Angels and local veteran organizations across the country, including here in West Michigan, thanking them for all they have done for our country.
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